Leclerc ends Friday with the fastest lap
Charles Leclerc led the second practice session for the United States Grand Prix, held on Friday 23 October at Circuit of the Americas. The Ferrari driver recorded 1:35.291, just 0.042 seconds ahead of Kimi Antonelli. Max Verstappen finished third, 0.189 seconds away, followed by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Having also topped FP1, Leclerc completed Friday with two leading positions before Saturday’s decisive sessions. The classification provides a useful reference for the opening day while leaving qualifying and the race to establish the weekend’s competitive outcome.
| Pos | Driver | Time / gap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | 1:35.291 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | +0.042s |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | +0.189s |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | +0.615s |
| 5 | George Russell | +0.744s |
How the benchmark changed during the session
Verstappen began strongly on medium tyres with a benchmark of 1:36.581, before Russell and Norris became involved in the contest for the leading positions. The order settled when most teams switched to qualifying simulations on the soft compound. That was when Leclerc moved to the top. During roughly the final 20 minutes, attention turned towards longer runs as teams completed their race preparation. Friday’s session therefore combined different objectives, and an individual lap time describes one part of the programme. The separate runs have to be considered in their own context.
Antonelli close as Hadjar faces a difficult session
Antonelli remained only 42 thousandths of a second away from first place despite having attempts deleted for track limits and reporting discomfort with his seat. Verstappen kept Red Bull in the top three, while Isack Hadjar described difficult car behaviour and finished ninth. The different experiences of the teammates became one of the day’s talking points. Russell was investigated following an incident with Leclerc, but Formula 1’s official session report states that no further action was required. Those details form part of a practice day that included several interrupted or unsuccessful flying laps.
McLaren struggles to complete its best attempts
Liam Lawson finished sixth for Racing Bulls ahead of both McLarens, with Norris seventh and Oscar Piastri eighth. Norris abandoned an attempt after a snap of oversteer and later locked up and ran off the circuit. Formula 1’s report describes both McLaren drivers being unhappy with the handling of their cars. Oliver Bearman completed the top ten for Haas. This order supplies Friday’s reference point, with another practice session still available for adjustments before qualifying. It also helps explain why the practice classification alone cannot settle the relative potential of every car.
Ferrari sees progress while Leclerc stays cautious
Ferrari brought changes to its floor, sidepod inlet and diffuser, according to Formula 1’s report on Leclerc’s reaction. The Monegasque praised the car’s balance and the fact that the team began in a good operating window, while cautioning against excessive expectations. He regarded Antonelli and Verstappen as strong and felt McLaren had yet to put everything together. Fred Vasseur also stressed how close the contest looked and the need to continue learning about the new package. Their comments place the leading practice times alongside the development work still taking place.
FP3 and qualifying: the Romanian start times
The official schedule places FP3 on Saturday 24 October at 12:30 in Austin, corresponding to 20:30 in Romania. Qualifying starts at 16:00 locally, which is 00:00 in Romania on Sunday 25 October, during the night from Saturday to Sunday. Romania is still on EEST at that point. The FP2 times do not set the starting grid; qualifying will provide the decisive single-lap comparison after the final practice session. This article describes the verified position before those sessions, with their outcomes still to be determined.
